Picnic Basket of Confinement

Enchantress Myna Willowind loved nothing more in the world than finding a remote location in the woods, camping out for a few hours, and partaking in her homemade tea and sandwiches. However, her excursions would not last long before being crashed by unwanted creatures ranging from petty ants to ferocious wolves to overly friendly people. She ended up spending more time preparing spells to get rid of these pesky visitors than she did relaxing.

In an attempt to get more peace, she decided to build a trap. It had to be portable and deceptive in order to make sure that the job got done. Thus, she created the Picnic Basket of Confinement - an unassuming wicker picnic basket with two hinged lids: one on the top and a smaller one on the bottom.

To activate the basket, simply place the bait (or food in this case) into the basket through the bottom lid. Then close the bottom lid and open the top lid.

There are two parts to the trap: it will shrink anything or anyone that gets through the traps range, then it will trap them said perpetrator in the basket itself. Ants or any other creature this small are not affected by the shrinking spell. Harmless in nature, the spells can be reversed by simply closing the top lid and opening the bottom one. The creatures or people will drop out of the basket and in an hour, they will revert back to their original size.

*There is no way to avoid this trap beyond not getting near the basket (You shouldn’t be grabbing food that isn’t yours anyway!).

*There is no way to defeat this trap; you are simply stuck.

*The biggest concern is to make sure that you survive the picnic trip. Unfortunately when you place people or creatures in a confined space and they’re all the same size, things are bound to go wrong. Not all creatures or people will pop out of the basket still alive. (GM Note: While shrunk, players have the choice to fight whatever creatures got confined with them or not.)

And of course, this is an item that players could own the item as well. Some plot possibilities:

Players want revenge on Myna so they follow her, watch her use the basket, and steal it.

Players strike up a conversation with Myna without getting near the basket, and offer to buy it.

Get it the old fashioned way - kill her.

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While coded wrong (not really a dungeon item, or dungeon trap) this is a fun little item you could actually see someone in a world with high magics actually making. It is well explained. It is also annoying enough to make an interesting encounter.

I think this could be a fun item that once activated bumps everyone to the same size, which could be fun with a group that has alot of size variety, such as the halfling becoming the same size as the rippling muscle berzerker. I also kept getting this image of Myna shaking out the same bear time after time.

I think this could have rather unharmless applications. Keeping a jar of fire ants nearby would be evil as once your victims are inside the basket, shrunk, one could dump the fireants in, and they, unshrunk, would be deadly foes.

I think it needs a little bit of added controls to arm/disarm the device.

I think this is hilarious. The simple yet fully explained backstory is perfect for a sweet quick little trap that could be a lot of fun. Is she able to disarm them without getting trapped? I would guess so, maybe a charm of protection or something so she can eat in peace inside the protective circle...that is the point right? :) Either way, this one is fun.

This was a lot of fun to read. It might be more fun with having a way out in addition to timing to keep the playes guessing and fighting at the same time. As a spin on the idea, perhaps it could be used to carry or transport a lot of people to safety or prison? Perhaps a village of refugees could be rescued and passed by border guards? A bandit or criminal, etc., could be tricked by one individual slight of size but mighty of brain and transported for the reward money.

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A magician develops a new way to make scrolls and can sell more powerful spells for cheap. Problem is, whether the magician is aware of it or not, the spell's power comes from spirits trapped by the magic that makes the scroll. Once used to power the scroll, the spirit is driven mad by the forces that have ripped through it's being, and often develops a homicidal thirst to destroy the one who tormented it. The spell the spirit was used for may have left some residual power in the spirit to give it more abilities than it ever used to have.